Preservation Events

[ An excerpt from the BVI Beacon Newspaper May, 2013 ]

In a proactive move to reduce the effects of litter and raise awareness of the protection needed to maintain the marine environment, organisers of the second annual Myett’s Underwater Beach Cleanup are luring swimmers, divers, snorkellers, kayakers and beach-goers to Cane Garden Bay Beach for one massive dive and lionfish hunt on 1st June between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.Tony Brunn, Owner, operator, and professional scuba diver of UBS Dive Centre explained the importance of conducting the lionfish hunt. “We have to eradicate the lionfish from these waters,” he said. “They’re an invasive species that could potentially destroy the reefs in the BVI and the Caribbean. So far, we’ve been the most successful in the Caribbean to wage this battle. It only takes one lionfish to destroy a coral reef, and our Reef Guardians preempted the lionfish". Everyone in the Virgin Islands has pulled their resources and worked together.”Representatives from local businesses such as Green VI will also be in attendance to distribute information to the public and build awareness throughout the Territory on the importance of keeping our waterways clean." The dive session will be followed by a trash classification then a second dive for specific targets.The daylong event will feature live performances from the Hot Sauce Band (The Last Resort Band) and DJ Mehow with volleyball in the afternoon and barbecue in the evening.Entry fees for scuba diving are $29, which includes morning snacks, dive tank, dive session with instruction on safe handling and cleaning of Lion fish, BBQ and lionfish tasting, two raffle tickets and a commemorative T-Shirt to celebrate this annual event.Tony along with the Premier Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE recently welcomed regional and environmental leaders to the British Virgin Islands for the first Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI) to address environmental threats facing the Caribbean region with a focus on marine and coastal clean up sponsored by:

Myett’s & Reef Guardians, UBS Diver Center, Red Bull, Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society, and the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board.For registration contact UBS Dive Center or Reef Guardians by phone at: (284) 494-0024 or (284) 346-2606; www.reefguardians.com; or stop by Myett’s at Cane Garden Bay.